Three hours ETA to the Mu relay
by mormel
Summary: What might have happened in Shepard's cabin before Ilos.


My hands slipped. But here, have a story that's been written now about one thousand and one times. Also this is why I so rarely get anything finished: I use about 180 % of the required words (and time) to tell the events of a story. Buuuut... I hope someone finds this worth reading for, in any case. Also, I took the liberty of altering the floor plan of Shep's cabin a bit. You _could_ squeeze a teeny tiny shower in there. Not that it plays a particularly big part in this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Mass Effect. Especially I don't own Commander Shepard or Liara T'Soni, no matter how much I'd like to. No profit is made, either.

* * *

Liara stood staring at Shepard's door. She wanted to go in, and yet she wanted to flee. The thoughts coursing through her mind were compelling, and frightening, but she would regret forever if she didn't go through with this now and something irreparable happened. She wanted to, there were no questions about that. But what Shepard wanted was a whole different thing, and the biggest reason for Liara's hesitation. Humans were still rather alien to her, and she wasn't good at all in reading them. True, she had had the right idea of Shepard's feelings before, but... everything was just a big mess. She didn't like having to rush things, but the situation didn't leave her many choices. Thus, in she went after drawing a deep breath, trying to force herself into calmness. Goddess...

Shepard was sitting by her desk, deep in thoughts. Initially she had retreated into her cabin to collect herself and plan for the upcoming mission on Ilos. But when she had started pondering who to take with her on the planet, her thoughts had soon sidetracked. Particularly one of her squad mates had the ability to make her do that very effectively. Liara. She would have been an obvious choice, not only because she was a Prothean expert but also because she was a powerful biotic. She was really effective in disabling enemies on the field, but she also didn't hesitate to destroy them altogether if need be. But... she had been with the squad on the previous, rough mission to Virmire but also on Noveria and Shepard wasn't sure how well she had come to terms with her mother's death. She seemed to be doing fine, but she also seemed to be the type who bottled a lot up out of consideration. Shepard was quite sure Liara didn't want to burden her with her troubles. And then there was of course the fact that Shepard just didn't want her to get hurt which was more than probable for whoever got down there in the geth infested ruins, spiced up with Saren himself.

All of a sudden the door to Shepard's cabin opened with a hiss. And closed. She perked up on her seat, not really having to guess who it was. Any of her subordinates would have probably requested an appointment in advance and the rest of her motley crew had probably hands full preparing for the mission as it was.

"Shepard? May I speak with you?" Liara said, trying to keep her voice steady. She watched Shepard standing up from her chair, and for a moment regretted coming to the Commander's cabin. She had obviously interrupted the Commander's preparations, and just for her selfish reasons. But now that she was here, there was no point in leaving.

"I was just thinking about you", Shepard said.

"I have been thinking about you, too", Liara replied with a serious expression. "And what we are about to face."

"I do not know what is going to happen on Ilos. I hope we will stop Saren, of course, but part of me fears we are already too late", the asari went on, and Shepard was just lost in her blue eyes. Her gaze was straight, and honest, and there was something that intrigued the human. She had an idea why Liara had come, though. "There is something I must tell you, in case we fail."

"Go ahead. I'm listening", Shepard said. There definitely was something in the air, and something going on with Liara. She had been straightforward with her before, to the point of embarrassing herself, but this was different. This time it felt like she was really determined to tell her something.

"These could be our last moments together", Liara said, deciding to just say it like she felt. She came to an arm's length from the human, desiring to reach for her hands but not quite daring. Not yet. "Our last chance to show each other how we feel. I want this to be special." There. Now that she had said it, it sounded quite silly. They were heading into their biggest, or at least most crucial fight so far and she wanted to do _this_. But... like she had said, this might be the last chance and she did not want to lose that. Not now that she had found someone special in Shepard who in addition reciprocated her feelings. Her self-confidence came down a notch, though, when she saw Shepard furrowing her brow.

"We don't have to do this", the human woman said softly. She wanted to, much for the same reasons that Liara had mentioned, but she had to consider the asari, as well. She was young - well, relatively speaking - and inexperienced. Shepard didn't want her throwing away something she might have wanted to save, not just because of her, knowing that she could die on Ilos. On the asari's part this could just be, and probably was, some form of puppy love and she might regret it later. Although she didn't seem like the type to throw herself into affairs lightly, as she had in fact stated more than once. Then again, _both_ of them could die and although it would have no significance in that case whether they did something or not now, she didn't want to rob Liara the chance to explore and share her affection, either. Thus, throwing the ball back to Liara she continued: "Not unless you're sure."

"I have never been more sure of anything in my life", Liara replied, awfully relieved. Well, what she said was a lie of sorts, as she still wasn't sure if this was sensible or not, but Shepard's reply had given her back some of the lost confidence. At least Shepard hadn't rejected her. In fact she greatly appreciated Shepard's consideration, knowing full well she was aware of her issues with the matter. After a slight pause she then asked the question, laid it all in the open to make sure they both knew where they stood.

"Will you join with me, Shepard? Let our bodies and minds unite."

"Just tell me what to do", came Shepard's immediate reply. She realised it wasn't all new just to Liara, but to herself as well. This would be her first time of having sex with a non-human, and a virgin at that. If that was even the appropriate term. And what Liara had told her about the asari's mating... _melding_ rituals it would probably be rather strange from a human point of view, albeit interesting, according to her previous experiences with Liara. She was curious, very much so, but also suddenly a little concerned. She'd better not screw this up.

Liara raised her hand, a little hesitantly perhaps, and brought it to Shepard's face. This was the first time she had deliberately touched the Commander like that, but watching her pressing her cheek into the gloved palm while gazing straight into her eyes with those magnificently verdant eyes of hers, her heart swell in her chest. Shepard accepted her. She wanted _her_, despite having had the chance for an all-human, heterosexual relationship with Lt. Alenko. Now Kaidan was gone, though, but it didn't erase the fact that Shepard really had made a choice when he had still been alive. Liara was sure the Commander and Kaidan had had more between them than just a professional relationship and she would have accepted, even supported the pair had Shepard chosen otherwise; she had witnessed how most other species dealt with unconventional relationships. But now, she just acted.

Shepard was a little surprised by the asari's eagerness when she outright jumped onto the human, pulling her into a rough kiss. Their lips crashed against each other and it was not something that could be called gentle. Shepard had no intention to rush it, but it was hard to concentrate on anything with Liara's lips against hers and the whole blue being _grinding_ herself against the Commander, wrapping her in her arms. She had never before experienced anything quite like that, and they were only starting. It was as if there was an aura surrounding Liara, something intoxicating that made Shepard want her insanely much, and thus she responded with equal eagerness, running her hands up and down Liara's back, pressing her closer.

The human's lips strayed off from the asari's, following the line of the jaw all the way to the neck. Liara's skin felt unfamiliar to Shepard's lips, but the texture intrigued her, enticing her to go further and explore more. The small gasps Liara let out and the way she clung to her drove her even harder forward and she realised, slightly amused, that she had rarely been this aroused. It appeared to be true what they said about asari and their charm. But only when she genuinely considered ripping Liara's clothes off, she came to her senses enough to slow down. It would lead only to troubles if they continued like this.

"Alright", Shepard sighed and very reluctantly took half a step back, holding Liara by the shoulders.

"Shepard...?"

Liara was confused. Shepard had been so... intense and now she backed off all of a sudden? And by the Goddess, the way she had kissed her neck had really set something on fire inside the asari. She wanted the Commander to go on, excited about what was to come. If the beginning of it was this stimulating, she couldn't even begin to fathom the rest. And now there apparently was a problem she didn't even remotely understand.

"Liara", Shepard begun, avoiding looking the other in the eye, lest her resolution crumbled, "There's no reason to rush this. I'd rather we take our time and get to... know each other slowly than ruin this for either or both of us by being too hasty."

"But the mission-" Liara begun, but Shepard placed a finger on her lips, then finished the sentence on her behalf.

"...is not an issue. It'll take around three hours for us to arrive in the Refuge system. Relax, there's time." Shepard then caressed Liara's face, giving her a small smile.

"Alright. You are right, of course. I am sorry ", Liara said quietly and turned her gaze down, slightly embarrassed by her own over enthusiastic behaviour. She had once again made a fool of herself in front of the Commander, and once again the Commander smoothed the wrinkles, fixed the situation with a few words and assured her it was alright.

"Now, don't be sorry. There's nothing to apologise for", Shepard said softly and, turning Liara's face up planted a kiss on her lips, this time quite a bit more tenderly than earlier. Both of them closed their eyes and let themselves be lost in the kiss. It was different than kissing a human, Shepard noted, but she couldn't quite define the reason for it. Maybe Liara tasted different, or maybe it was the texture of her lips, or maybe the pheromones no one had confirmed even existed. Shepard lost that sort of thoughts quickly, though, and just decided to concentrate on the sensations and feelings their actions aroused. As for Liara, it was different and unfamiliar for her, as well, but simply because she had never really kissed anyone before.

One of Shepard's hands crept to the nape of Liara's neck, her fingertips brushing along the vertical furrows and ridges. It was an odd feeling as she wasn't used to people's necks feeling quite like that, and the different skin texture added its own spice into it. But the noticeable shivers Shepard's touch brought up in Liara encouraged her to continue her exploration, the area obviously being rather sensitive to touch. Her other hand in the small of the asari's back she pressed their bodies closer together, deepening the kiss. Liara responded to it, letting out a soft chuckle when the human sucked her lower lip and then nibbled it a little. Opening her eyes Shepard noted that the colour of Liara's cheeks seemed darker blue than usually, and concluded she was blushing. It was actually a little amusing, considering that to her blushing was heavily associated with the colour pink.

Keeping the kiss intact Shepard moved her hands to Liara's front, opening her lab coat just a little, so that she could bend the collar out of the way and kiss her neck lower. Liara gasped and leaned into her, wrapping her arms around the human's neck.

"Shepard..." the asari sighed, delighted, letting her body get accustomed to this kind of touching and with fascination learning how it reacted to it. The human's lips against her neck and hands pressing her body into another induced definite, specific sensations in her, pooling somewhere in the pit of her stomach. She suddenly realised Shepard's hair was right there, next to her face, and she turned her head just enough so that she could press her face into it. It was softer than she had imagined, for a long while having craved to touch it, but for obvious reason really not have been able to. It was cool and slick and smelled good, also most definitely much more pleasant than she had expected, based on her previous experiences with furred animals. On a whim she took off her gloves, giving in to the growing desire to sink her bare fingers into it.

Encouraged by Liara's actions Shepard revealed a bit more of blue skin and ventured downwards. The uneven texture remained pretty much the same, only the size of the scaly formations altering slightly on the skin of Liara's throat. But it was soft and warm and fragrant. She couldn't quite put her finger on Liara's scent, being unable to define it or describe it, but she couldn't really care less. Shepard was startled in the middle of her musings, when she suddenly felt Liara's lips on her own neck, the asari maiden shyly exploring her would be lover's body. It was pleasant and the Commander just relaxed into the feeling, tilting her head a little and letting her hands rest on Liara's hips.

"Shepard?" Liara murmured against the human's neck. Shepard's skin was so smooth, so soft, so unlike her own. Liara was enchanted and had to collect her thoughts to remember what she was going to ask, but then a thought occurred to her and distracted her further. "Or... should I call you Jane from now on? I am under the impression that humans, as well as most other species, call their closest people mainly by the given name."

"Shepard is fine. People have been calling me that for so long that I really don't even respond to Jane anymore. I just... don't recognise it as mine, I guess", Shepard said with a chuckle and pulled apart from Liara just enough to be able to look at her. The asari was serious and closed her eyes when Shepard stroked her face softly.

"Okay. Shepard", Liara spoke again and took the human's free hand in her own. Her palm was a bit callous, hardened in the field, but warm, and the other touching her cheek was gentle. Although she loved and treasured the way Shepard touched her, even slightly surprised she could be so tender, she wanted more. A deeper connection. But she didn't know how to initiate it. Running her fingertips on Shepard's palm she then continued: "You have done this before?" It was more of a statement than a question, though.

"If you mean sex, not outside my own species", Shepard simply said. "So I might not be very prepared to this with you. To be honest I have no idea what to expect or how to proceed. Well, judging by our previous melds I may have an inkling, but... probably it's not even close to this sort of melding."

It was Liara's turn to chuckle. Shepard was right, the union they would engage in was probably nothing like the shallow melds they had shared in the comm room. _Probably_, since Liara had no prior experience in this sort of melding, either. But she was more than eager to try. What little she had seen of Shepard's mind while going through the Prothean visions had impressed and beguiled her. She wanted to experience more, be part of Shepard and Shepard be part of her.

"Well, it's not much, but I did a bit of research", Liara said, involuntarily blushing by the memories coming to her mind. She had briefly browsed the extranet before deciding to come to the Commander's cabin, looking for information about human mating rituals. In the process she had happened to open one or two sites that had more... recreational than research value, but they had provided her with some information, nevertheless. "It seems the human female and asari physiology is strikingly similar. At least outwardly." Liara figured that being able to play in a somewhat familiar territory would make it easier for Shepard to "get into it" (thank the Goddess for the similarities) and that way more relaxed and open to the union. She had resisted their melds before rather actively, and if it was going to be like that this time as well, Liara was sure she wouldn't last long trying. And she had to admit that knowing their physical differences were only minimal made herself a bit more comfortable, as well.

"Are you embarrassed, Dr. T'Soni?" Shepard teased, amused by Liara's behaviour and what she had just told her. She should have known Liara would dig up at least a little bit of information about the subject before plunging head first into an interspecies sexual relationship. Much unlike Shepard. It was somewhat relieving to know, however, that there were no bigger surprises to be expected. Like tentacles. Judging by the asaris' crests it wouldn't have been that farfetched to assume they might have something similar down there.

"I... no", Liara stammered, avoiding a straight gaze, "It's just that... Oh, Shepard."

Seeing Liara's discomfort Shepard simply embraced her, pulling her close. The asari appreciated it and wrapped her arms around Shepard's waist, burying her face into the auburn locks again.

"Is this supposed to be so complicated?" Liara then asked. She had assumed things would roll on more by their own weight.

"I suppose it's just as complicated as we make it to be", Shepard said softly, caressing the nape of Liara's neck. "Maybe we should talk less and just do what feels right."

"Well, you see... At some point I will need to join with you", Liara said, for the time being enjoying Shepard's warmth and soft caresses. "And I am not sure when I should, or how I should. You would think it would come naturally for an asari, but I cannot say I know any better than I did before we met. And I'm worried that I might try it at a bad time, and knowing how strong-willed you are..."

"Stop thinking about it, Liara", Shepard interrupted sternly, but in a warm tone and took Liara's face between her hands, brushing the blue cheeks with her thumbs. "Like I said, we should talk less and do what feels right. It will happen when it's time and I trust you'll know what to do by then." With that she kissed Liara on the lips again, rendering the asari speechless and unable to object. Not that Liara would have had it in her to object anyway when Shepard put it like that.

The kiss went on for a while and they let their hands roam more freely on each other's bodies. Liara caressed Shepard's sides and back and was amazed by the toned muscles she felt under the fabric of her Alliance shirt. Shepard was slightly shorter than her and appeared rather slim, but there was sheer power in the small frame of hers. One of Shepard's hands eventually found its way to Liara's crest and shyly explored the forms while still in the lip lock. Liara couldn't help a smile spreading on her lips and then laughing softly into the kiss. Shepard was like a curious child, taking advantage of the situation to satisfy her curiosity. Then again, Liara had been exactly the same with the human's hair, so she really couldn't blame her.

When Liara broke the kiss and leaned her head on Shepard's shoulder to offer her a chance to explore further, the human suddenly withdrew her hand. Liara missed the soft, warm touch already.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked... Did I do bad?" Shepard said, panicking a little. She had been overly curious about the head "tentacles" for as long as she had seen asari, and just couldn't have resisted touching them now. But Liara had moved her head away from under her touch, and she assumed she had broken a taboo or something, invaded personal space.

"Goddess, no", Liara exhaled and planted a light peck on Shepard's cheek. "It felt good. Please, continue."

Relieved, Shepard resumed what she had been doing, using both of her hands to explore Liara's crest. She ran her fingers along the ridges of her neck, tickled the undersides of the two biggest, lowest protruding appendages and noticed it made the asari shiver just slightly. The skin was smoother underside than on top, almost like fine, soft leather. She then pressed her fingers to the sides of the appendages and pressed slightly inwards, curious about their flexibility. They were firm, but gave way a little. She then tried to bend them up gently, but they didn't move nearly as much.

"This doesn't hurt?" Shepard said in a quiet tone. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Liara.

"No", Liara replied, completely captivated by Shepard's actions. Trembles travelled along Liara's spine when she felt the human's fingers touching the smaller bits of her crest between the big ones. She had known the crest and the nape of the neck, or at least part of them were highly sensitive and commonly regarded an erogenous zone, but now that she experienced someone touching hers so deliberately first hand, she almost melt into a puddle. And when she felt Shepard's fingers slide slowly, softly along the furrows between the ridges on the back of her neck, she couldn't help a small gasp escaping her parted lips. The urge to meld was growing stronger by every gentle sweep and tickle Shepard delivered.

"You like this?" the Commander asked, the answer already quite obvious to her.

"Yes", the asari simply said and cupped the back of Shepard's head with one hand, threading her fingers into the soft mass of hair. Shepard laughed. She had built an image of the average asari in her mind over the years. Like Liara had said, people considered the asari a little wild, loose, promiscuous even, but on the other hand they were also seen as dangerous and deadly. This particular maiden, however, shattered that image. Yes, Liara could be dangerous if provoked and she was by no means helpless, but she was shy. And gentle and kind. Honest. By the looks she could have easily passed as an exotic dancer, and Shepard considered her in fact one of the most beautiful asari she had seen, but her demeanour couldn't have been more different. She carried herself with pride and there was subliminal confidence in her stride, but she didn't bring herself forth unnecessarily. She didn't flirt consciously. And although she was open and honest, she still managed to stay mysterious, and that, along with her genuine character was probably a big contributing factor in Shepard's increasing interest in her. Before meeting Liara she hadn't been particularly interested in asari on a personal level, other than a co-existing species in the galaxy. And of course being intrigued by their crests.

Shepard slid her hands down the sides of Liara's face, cupping her cheeks. Liara mimicked her actions with one hand and traced the scar above her upper lip with her thumb. Shepard kissed the finger and managed to capture Liara's gaze with her own. She then mischievously sucked the thumb into her mouth and bit it softly, the corners of her mouth curling upwards when she saw Liara blushing.

It was strangely erotic seeing the tip of her finger in Shepard's mouth and _feeling_ her sucking it. Feeling the wetness and warmth and the tongue that pressed against the pad of her finger, all the while being under the observation of her intelligent, green gaze.

"May I?" Shepard then said, releasing Liara's finger. Her hands had moved to the asari's chest and were already opening the coat, but she ceased her actions until Liara gave her permission by nodding her head a few times, not trusting her voice would hold together enough at that precise moment. The Commander opened the front of the garment and slid it then down her shoulders, revealing a simple, sleeveless shirt made of thin fabric. Tracing her fingers over Liara's collarbones and down her chest again, she watched the asari's reactions carefully as they descended onto the two small mounds there. Not knowing what to expect she then cupped the breasts and swept her thumbs over the spots where she assumed the nipples were. And indeed, they appeared almost immediately, reacting to Shepard's touch, and she started slowly rubbing them through the fabric. Liara frowned and bowed her head.

"Do you want me to stop?" Shepard asked, concerned, and stopped moving her thumbs but kept her hands where they were.

"No, please don't", the asari replied and, positioning her own hands on Shepard's hips started tugging the hem of her shirt. She then stepped closer and initiated a kiss.

"Okay", Shepard mumbled into the kiss, then breaking it briefly. "I don't have much clue what I'm doing here, since I mostly go by what would probably please a human female... So if I do something you don't want me to do, or things get otherwise awkward, let me know, okay?"

"Aye aye, Commander", Liara replied and continued the kiss.

Shepard's thumbs continued their task, sending shivers through the asari's body. Her skin tingled almost as if her biotics were in effect, and her body ached to be touched more. She also noticed Shepard was kissing her differently from earlier. The woman used her tongue more and sucked her lips more, but also strayed off her lips more than before, electrifying Liara all over, where ever she touched. But the most hollow ache was in her mind and it had gotten stronger. The more she touched Shepard, her palms now tightly pressed against the bare skin of Shepard's back, and the more Shepard touched her, the harder it was getting to ignore the need.

The asari had to pull her hands away for the while that it took Shepard to remove her coat. But yearning for the lost contact, and more, Liara grabbed the hem of Shepard's shirt again and pulled it upwards, so far that it came completely off. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Shepard's upper body, forgetting the shirt in her hands. The Commander was lean and, as expected, her muscles were fairly well defined, but the most prominent feature were the scars. There were many of them, of different shapes and sizes, scattered over Shepard's body. Unable to tear her gaze away from them Liara placed the shirt on the nearby table and perhaps a little hesitantly laid her palms on Shepard's shoulders. Giving a quick look at the human's face and noting the tousled hair she then started tracing the scars with her fingers. There was one particularly big one running diagonally from her chest to the abdomen and the human twitched when Liara's fingers reached the lower end of it.

"It kind of tickles when you do that", Shepard stated, amused, when Liara looked her in the eye again.

"There are so many of them", Liara said quietly. "You have been through so much." Her fingers continued their expedition while her eyes took in the sight before her. Her touch was light but not so tentative anymore and after a while she stepped around to take a look at Shepard's back. There were not so many scars there, but a fair share, nevertheless.

"Most of them are from Akuze and the rest from training camps and such. Getting wounded on the field tends to kill you rather than just scar you", Shepard said, closing her eyes and savouring the feel of Liara's touch. "Do you... think they're ugly?" Normally she didn't care much what others thought of her looks and scars, but she realised she didn't want Liara to consider her unattractive. And she had an idea that asari didn't quite consider scars or other marks of battle sexy or attractive. If she was dealing with a krogan, it would have been a whole different story, although a little disturbing one for various reasons.

"I don't", Liara said and to her surprise Shepard felt her lips on her shoulder. Then on her neck. She hadn't expected Liara to be very initiative, but she didn't mind at all, now that she was. "They are a part of you and act as a proof of your history, of the things that have made you the woman you are today."

"Curious... I never noticed you are covered in very fine hairs all over", Liara said after a while of gentle touching and kissing, surprising Shepard. She hadn't expected something like that, although with further considering she should have. It was in Liara's nature to make such notes. "Although it makes your skin quite soft to touch. Are all humans like this?"

Shepard just chuckled and turned around to face Liara again, but neither of them said a word. Instead they just leaned in to another kiss, enjoying this new closeness. Shepard wrapped her arms around Liara's body, sliding her hands under her shirt to feel more of her textured skin, and eventually started pulling the hem up. Liara helpfully lifted her arms, allowing Shepard to remove the shirt, but it got stuck to her crest, the front still covering her face. With a chuckle Liara interfered and helped the also amused human to free the shirt, or herself, depending on the point of view. Shepard tried not to stare too much of the newly revealed, exotic blue skin, but her hands explored instead, running up and down the back, arms and sides, then crawling up to the front to return to their earlier task, this time with nothing in between.

Liara felt like she was on fire and ice cold simultaneously. Her body tingled all over and Shepard's touch made her shiver and her heart beat faster. She had had no idea that being touched by another person would be like this. So exciting, and stimulating. It felt like something was building inside her, and she decided to channel it by releasing her biotics. Small blue sparkles and flares emerged and started dancing on her skin, illuminating their immediate surroundings with faint, blue light.

Shepard was taken by surprise, but didn't pull her hands away. She watched, fascinated, as small plasma-like streaks formed between her palm and the asari's skin, even if she didn't make direct contact. It felt a little like static electricity, a slight vibrating feeling prickling her palms. She wondered, if it felt the same for Liara as well.

The human slid her hands down Liara's sides while kissing her neck, wrapping her arms around the waist and caressing her lower back. This had some unexpected results as Liara suddenly gasped and clung to Shepard a little tighter. Shepard kept touching her, drawing out reactions and concluding it must have been an exceptionally sensitive area. She didn't get to exploit her findings for long, though, since the asari reached behind her back with one hand and placed it on Shepard's, halting her actions.

"Something wrong?" Shepard asked, moving her free hand away, running her fingertips over the curve of Liara's hip instead.

"No, not wrong", Liara replied and let out a breath, setting the human's other hand free as well. "Just a little overwhelming. I can tell you discovered the thoracolumbar zone just now."

"The tho... what?" the Commander said, taking a look at Liara. She was surprised to see her eyes had turned completely black, presumably from her touching. "I shouldn't have touched you there? It's _that_ sensitive?"

"No, it's quite alright", Liara hurried to say, afraid she might have ruined the mood. But if she would have let Shepard carry on with her teasing, she might have done something unpleasant. "But... caressing that particular area like that is very stimulating. Not necessarily in a sexual way, but there are more than average nerve endings in the skin there, and the proximity of the spinal cord ensures the nerve impulses are quickly transported to the brain. Basically melding is joining two separate nervous systems and by stimulating mine in such a way you would intensify my need to meld with you. You can probably tell by looking at my eyes. They have turned black, haven't they?" It took quite an amount of concentration to not reach out for Shepard's mind, but shifting temporarily into the scientist mode helped a little. It always did when she was confused or overwhelmed.

"Yeah, they have", Shepard confirmed. She had always found it quite curious how the asari eyes changed colour during a meld. "So, should I keep my hands away from the area completely for now or...?"

"Unless you are ready for a union", Liara said with a smile and leaned her forehead to Shepard's. She knew the human wasn't ready yet and it was a little tormenting how slowly they progressed, but she had an archaeologist's patience. If it happened within the three hours the Commander had promised, she would be content.

"Alright, then", Shepard said firmly and proceeded with a kiss. In her opinion they both were wearing too much at this point, and going for the corrective moves her hands slid down on Liara's hips, looking for the clasp which would undo her trousers. Finding and opening it she then slipped her hands under the waistband and started sliding them off, past her feminine hips until they were low enough for Liara to step out of them as well as her boots. Now quite openly letting her appreciative gaze wander over the asari's form Shepard let out a delighted breath. Liara was quite darn incredibly attractive. Her proportionate, feminine body called for her to touch and explore, and by the time her gaze reached the face and those grey-blue eyes, there was no turning back. The coy, yet anticipatory expression Liara wore was what sealed the deal for Shepard.

Shepard extended her arm, offering Liara her hand. The asari took it and Shepard walked her to the bed, stripping off her own trousers, boots and socks before engaging in another, sensual kiss with Liara and laying her down on the bed to spare their bare feet from the metal floor. Shepard straddled Liara's legs and pinned her down on the mattress by her wrists, with no hurry kissing her on the mouth, delighted when Liara parted her lips and allowed her to explore them with her tongue and taste her. A brief thought of another lips to taste crossed her mind, but she quickly discarded it. For now this would be quite enough, as was evident by the tight ache in her stomach and between her legs.

Liara arched her neck when Shepard once again strayed off her lips and nipped and kissed her neck instead. And when she ventured downwards, over her collarbones and planted soft kisses on her chest, a surge of hot energy rushed through her body. Goddess. She was amazed by the responsiveness of her own body, and when Shepard's warm mouth enclosed one of her nipples she let out a soft whimper. When the Commander released her wrist, bringing one of her hands to her other breast and started moving her fingertip in small circles over the hardened peak, a jolt of pleasure shot through her body, nesting between her legs.

Once free, Liara's hand moved to the back of Shepard's head instinctively, caressing and stroking her and pressing her closer to herself, her fingers tangling into the soft hair. She didn't resist when the human wedged her thigh between hers, only gasped when it pressed against the junction of them, inducing more pleasurable physical reactions. She could feel her arousal more concretely when Shepard's thigh rubbed against her slightly, the human's mouth and hands stimulating her body in their own, wonderful ways.

"Shepard..." Liara sighed and fumbled the Commander's last remaining garments. The underpants were out of her reach, but she grabbed the strap of her peculiar... whatever it was wrapped around her upper body and yanked it down her shoulder. Finding it quite hard to concentrate on the task she ran her fingers along the rim around the woman's body, looking for some mechanism to undo it.

"Goddess! How does this thing come off?" she huffed, frustrated, when she couldn't figure it out. Shepard just laughed, the mirth in her laughter evident.

"Here, let me", the Commander said and pulled back. She sat down on the mattress and reached behind her back, with an obviously simple motion opening the garment and then casually taking it off. While she was at it she removed her panties as well, and Liara's gaze was instantly drawn to the patch of hair above the joining point of her legs. It was a shade or three darker than her hair. Realising she was staring the asari then quickly turned to look down between the two, her face hot. It had just caught her attention, being in strong contrast against Shepard's pale skin and Liara had acted reflexively.

"I am sorry, that was uncivil of me", Liara apologised. "It's just that I wasn't aware of humans having hair there, as well. None of the vids I saw indicated such a feature... speaking of which, why didn't they have it? I-"

"As fascinating as the topic is, we can talk about pubic hair later", Shepard interrupted Liara's nervous chatter, at this point craving for more action. Her own desire was overwhelming and judging by Liara's earlier whimpers and moans she enjoyed the intimate touches as well. Shepard leaned forward and sliding her palms up Liara's legs reached for the edge of her simple panties. Making sure Liara was comfortable with having them removed she then started slowly pulling them down, briefly noting the asari really were hairless, and still somewhat amused by Liara's reaction to her own hair.

"Come here", Shepard said softly and kneeled down on the mattress, holding both of her hands for Liara. She took them, still with a rather shy expression, and sat up as well. Shepard guided her so that she was eventually straddling her legs and pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around her firm, trim waist. Liara enfolded Shepard's head in her arms and breathed heavily into her fragrant hair, captivated by the soft lips doing their magic on her taut stomach. She wanted more, so much more.

Leaning back a little Liara took Shepard's head between her hands and kissed her passionately, almost desperately on the lips. She was hungrier than she could have ever imagined, wanting an even closer connection with the human on both physical and mental level. And when Shepard responded to the kiss with equal vehemence, there was no doubt about them reaching that closer connection eventually. Only when their bodies grew desperate for air did they break the kiss, both flushed and ever so serious.

"May I touch you?" Shepard asked quietly, out of breath, and looked at the blushing asari. She was quite sure there had to be at least one taboo among the asari concerning sexual activities, but she had no clue what it or they could be, so making sure before proceeding any further seemed reasonable. Liara nodded her head and when Shepard touched her fingertips on the inside of one blue thigh, flinched a little. Moving her hand upwards she reached Liara's sex... or whatever it was called in a species that didn't need sex to reproduce. It seemed to work, however, in a similar manner as it did for humans, as Shepard noticed a thin, but slick coat of moisture as her fingers tentatively explored the area between Liara's legs.

Watching carefully Liara's reactions Shepard touched her more purposefully. It was slightly odd, the area her fingers moved in similar to the human equivalent, but still different. Pressing her middle finger closer to Liara's body and between her... folds, the Commander then sought for something. And presumed she found it when Liara gasped as her finger touched a small ridge, harder and firmer than the surrounding area. Human women and asari really were remarkably similar physiologically.

"Is this..." Shepard begun, but then realised she didn't know what to call it. But she didn't need to finish her sentence as Liara nodded a couple of times with a faint "yes", her body quivering as she lightly moved her finger over it repeatedly.

Liara was flabbergasted. She was so much more sensitive when someone else - Shepard to be precise, she didn't think it would had been like this with anyone else - touched her. On one hand it was an odd feeling having someone else's fingers between her legs, but on the other the sensations they inflicted with their gentle touch more than made up for it. She was quite certain she could have reached her climax even without the meld, but Goddess, it was getting really hard to ignore the need to join. And when she felt Shepard's other hand softly stroking her back, progressing slowly up to her neck and then caressing her ever so gently just under her crest and down again, she gave in. She could only hope the human was ready, because she couldn't hold back anymore.

"Shepard, please, I need your..." Liara breathed out, and realised she didn't have the proper words for her plea. "I need you now." She was somewhat surprised when Shepard just nodded her head, as serious as ever, and removed her hand from between the asari's legs, pushing her gently down so that she was sitting on her thighs.

"What do I do?" Shepard asked, quite curious but also slightly concerned about what was to happen. Her only prior experience were the few shallow melds she had gone through with Liara and the awkward cipher-exchanging meld with Shiala on Feros, and she had a feeling they were nothing like an intimate union Liara was about to form with her.

"Just relax", Liara said softly and leaned closer, taking the human's head between her palms and pressing her forehead against Shepard's. "Both body and soul. I'm not quite sure about the exact process of this kind of intimate union, but I would think it's similar to a more shallow one, at least initially."

"Embrace eternity." A soft, affectionate whisper. Shepard heard a slight tremble in Liara's voice and wondered just how much she had to restrain herself.

Then all thoughts but one escaped her. Something that could be described as panic almost got the better of the human Commander when an overwhelming pressure was somehow squeezing against her mind, seeking access. Her gut reaction was to fight it with all she got despite knowing that it was Liara trying to initiate the meld and she experienced a weird sensation where it felt like her mind shrunk into itself in defence. It lasted but a second, though, and coming back to the real world she felt Liara's hands leaving her face, accompanied with a sigh.

"Shepard, I am sorry, I didn't mean to be so forceful", the young asari then said, turning to look away. "But it is difficult to know how hard I should push into you, especially with my limited experience about this and because I... I need you so badly that controlling it is even harder. Maybe we shouldn't..." She let her words trail off and she was already going to slip off of Shepard's lap when the human grabbed her wrists to stop her and then moved her hands to the blue hips to hold her in place.

"Liara, try again", Shepard just said in a firm tone.

Liara turned to look at the woman and saw determination on her face. But there was also something else. Compassion, maybe? Something that softened the Commander's features a little and reassured Liara that she really did want to try again. That Shepard too wanted the union and perhaps understood how greatly Liara _needed_ it.

With a nod Liara drew in a deep breath, exhaled and tried again. Opening her own mind she searched for Shepard's, and when she found the edge of the alien consciousness again, did not ram into it with the finesse of a krogan battle master like she had foolishly done previously. Instead she tried to focus on softly touching the barely detectible, barely recognisable stray surface thoughts, stroking them and teasing Shepard's mind gently in order to pry it open. It had not been pleasant and it had not taken her long to realise that Shepard's mind had clammed up when she had tried a more direct approach, in spite of the method being a working one with their earlier melds. She also knew that if she failed to initiate a union now, she would probably have no energy left to try a third time due to the impenetrable nature of Shepard's mind and her own inexperience.

Liara was happy to notice, though, that her tickling had the desired effects. Shepard's consciousness slowly unwrapped from around itself and it almost felt like it reached for Liara's - an entertaining thought considering Shepard was a human and not an asari. It was nothing like what she had experienced with Shepard before and she soon realised the Commander was not in fact reaching for her but just letting her mind relax and open, and before she could get it under control she was sucked into the human's mind all at once, as if it was a vacuum, an endless number of foreign thoughts, emotions, feelings, brilliant and unfathomable abstract constructions and everything that was the essence of Shepard surrounding her as one, overwhelming universe. It was breathtakingly beautiful. And ever so brief.

"Whhhhooooly mother of God!" Shepard exclaimed, genuinely shocked and their connection broke, just like that. She had felt a feather light touch brushing against her mind and when she had opened up to it, _Liara_, in all its simplicity had flooded into her mind without much of a warning. Shepard was flabbergasted. And now that she presumed she was alone in her head again she wondered why Liara had left so quickly.

"Are you alright?" Liara asked, concerned. She looked for signs of discomfort or trauma in the human's face and body language, fearing that their too sudden joining had somehow damaged the unprepared human mind. She had no idea if it was possible, especially in Shepard's case when she could withstand a Prothean beacon of all things, but her initial reaction had been such a frantic one that Liara had thought best to break the union, despite regretting it immensely and leaving her craving for so much more.

"I... am", Shepard said, unable to help a goofy grin spreading on her face. "_That_ was just quite unexpected. And overwhelming. I lost my footing there for a sec. Do it again." With that she looked up at Liara who was frowning, interlacing their fingers and really looking forward to joining minds with the asari again. During their brief moment together she had got a glimpse of what it was like to truly be one with someone, and it was nothing short of wonderful and exciting. Being able to see into someone else's mind like that was a humbling experience.

Liara gladly complied, letting out a relieved sigh and repeating the process of closing in on Shepard's consciousness. This time it went more smoothly as she touched the human's thoughts, both of them slightly wiser from their earlier experiments. This time Liara knew to expect the suction effect and learned to ease her mind into Shepard's in a calmer manner, without an uncontrollable rush, and Shepard also adjusted herself better, learning to accommodate the foreign consciousness into her mind without freaking out like before.

For a while they just stayed like that, taking in the situation. Liara was hesitant to push in deeper for the moment, although the meld was still just barely deeper than a regular one with friends and acquaintances used to exchange emotions and information. Shepard tried to get used to the idea of someone else being inside her head like that. And although Liara didn't make a fuss about herself, her presence was still clearly noticeable. And it was nothing like it had been a moment ago. It was like she was holding back considerably much.

_I'm keeping the meld rather shallow deliberately to give you space to adjust to the sensation. And also to train myself in controlling it. An asari shouldn't let accidents like the one moments ago happen, especially with a non-asari partner._

"Wait, are you reading my thoughts?" Shepard asked, amused.

_Well, our minds _are_ connected at the moment, Commander._

So they were. Only then it occurred to Shepard that Liara hadn't actually spoken the words, but they had kind of echoed in the human's own mind. It then dawned upon her, that she should have been able to send her thoughts back to Liara, as well. Liara seemed to think so too, as cordial amusement radiated into Shepard's mind, feeling like a mental embrace for the lack of a better expression.

_You are doing it already._

Observing Shepard as she discovered new aspects of melding by the minute was ever so endearing. It was like watching a child develop in fast forward. At first her thoughts were directed more inward and she pretty much ignored Liara, or as much as she could, considering she was in her mind at the moment. Her thought processes were completely unguarded and the paths and pace they took amazed the asari. She had never encountered a mind quite like that, and she realised why Shepard had so much potential and why she was given so much responsibility. But as the Commander got more comfortable with the connection she started paying more attention to what was coming in and getting more self-aware, observing her sensations and what new things she could do with Liara. Seeing and feeling her realise she still had complete control over her body despite her nervous system being linked to another, albeit only by fraction for now, brought a smile to both of their faces. And when Shepard looked her in the eyes and directed a particularly jovial thought her way, Liara decided it was time to move forward.

Carefully deepening the connection she started receiving more personal thoughts, as well as emotions. Shepard was endlessly curious and excited about the meld, much to Liara's delight, and when that curiosity got fed a flood of joyful feelings rushed back to Liara. The human was truly enjoying this which in turn made Liara all the happier. Through the meld the asari also realised how sexually aroused the human was and leaned in to kiss her on the lips in order to sate that need. Shepard eagerly responded to the kiss and surprised Liara by flipping them over and pinning her down on the mattress again.

It was all so strange, so very unfamiliar and alien, yet wonderful and fascinating. While nipping Liara's neck and letting her free hand roam on her curves, not really getting enough of the feel of her, she briefly thought how much the xenophobes missed when they kept pushing the aliens away so vigorously. And then, quite unexpectedly she could feel the ghost of her own touch on her body and all remnants of coherent thinking escaped her. _She could feel what Liara was feeling. _And it blew her mind. She had known the partners became figuratively one nervous system through the meld and could share thoughts and emotions, but it hadn't occurred to her that it would also include physical sensations. Liara's mirth was very evident, her own fascination in Shepard's discoveries obvious. All of it was quite confusing, but as long as both of them enjoyed it, everything was fine. And Shepard knew for a fact that was the case. It was hard to keep anything a secret while connected to another being like that. Although it echoed in their shared mind-space that asari were trained from the very childhood to keep their minds strictly controlled, but that was not relevant in that exact moment.

Now, that their minds were connected, Shepard's touches felt so much better. First of all, the human knew instantly what Liara liked the best, but also the intimacy and vulnerability that was induced by the meld made it so much more personal and dear for her. And while initially Shepard had been a little unsure how to touch her properly, as she had never been with an asari before, she had quickly learned to exploit their connection in her ministrations. And Liara had no complaints, whatsoever, trying not to moan very loudly when the human's skilled hand reached between her thighs again, sending wonderful shivers through her body.

However, when Liara sensed Shepard's desire to put her fingers inside her, perplexity overcame her. She was aware of how most other species mated and were Shepard a human male she would have accepted without a question his need to be inside her. But Shepard was a female, and in addition fingers were not exactly exclusively used for sexual pleasure, especially not for the one using them on another person.

"Liara?" the Commander said out loud, having noticed the asari's hesitation. Shepard's concern was obvious, but so was the importance of the aforementioned act to her, so with a gentle kiss on the human's lips she gave her consent.

_You may, if you want to._

Without further ado Shepard slid her fingers further down on her, searching for access. Liara wasn't sure if she realised how extremely careful she was with her actions, observing her lover both physically and mentally. It did, however, strengthen Liara's affection towards the Commander and when she eventually, gingerly inserted one single finger into her, it proved to be more effective than she had imagined. Firstly, their roles did not escape her, Liara being in Shepard's mind and Shepard now in the asari's body and secondly, while unfamiliar but not outright unpleasant this new kind of touching didn't do much for Liara physically, the emotional pleasure _Shepard_ derived from it overwhelmed her. She realised that being allowed to touch her like that was a very personal issue for Shepard, and while it didn't work like it probably would have with an individual of another species, it served its purpose better than well, oddly enough.

At some point Shepard realised Liara had been gradually deepening their bond and their individual personalities began to blur, bleeding into each other rather than Liara residing in the human's mind. On some level losing your sense of self like that was a little frightening, but Shepard wouldn't have had it any other way. There had been mutual attraction and connection between her an Liara before, of that she had no doubts, but she hadn't been quite sure about the depth of her own feelings until now, when she felt like truly falling in love with the asari and all the beauty that was her. It might have been a reflection of Liara's feelings or it might have come from within herself, but did it really matter at this point? Falling deeper into the meld she was very happy to just be like this, euphoric even. Their mixing consciousnesses were flooded with genuine happiness.

Emotional turmoil was not all that was going on, however. All the physical pleasure she felt couldn't be just an echo of her own actions, and before she saw it she knew a blue hand had at some point crept between her legs and was now working her towards release. It was probably the most intense sexual pleasure she had ever experienced, but then again she had never felt two people's pleasure at once before. Not to mention the fondness and affection and pure joy the air was thick of.

Adding another finger the Commander could feel the stretch, but fortunately no pain. A stray, wondering thought of why pain should be expected during the penetration rose from somewhere, but faded almost instantly. Losing herself in Liara Shepard shifted into a purely instinctual mode; touching, nipping, kissing, thrusting, squirming, moaning, pleasing, wanting, needing, feeling, longing, giving. Loving. It was unclear who did and felt what, and it didn't matter anymore. Together they eventually pushed each other over the edge, limbs in a tangled mess with the sheets, minds fused together and bodies held close.

After the bodily shudders subsided Shepard and Liara lay together on the bed, relaxed, breathing heavily and still joined. Shepard was the first to move, carefully pulling out her fingers in case Liara found them uncomfortable. Not that she could detect any such indication through the meld, but knowing how alien the concept was for asari and also considering Liara's prior thoughts about it just a few moments ago she opted to play safe.

_It's alright. I know it is important to you._

"But I have no desire to make you feel needlessly uncomfortable", Shepard murmured against Liara's neck, feeling her pulling them gently apart. She was reluctant to let her go and she sensed Liara was just as reluctant to leave, but they couldn't stay like that forever.

"You should be aware I didn't regard it as uncomfortable. Asari _can_ accommodate most other species'... sex organs in our bodies. Or, well, digits in some cases, I should probably add", Liara breathed out, tilting her head as Shepard nibbled the skin of her throat. Shepard let out a short laugh and the sound of it, accompanied by the soft vibration it induced against her neck, sent a shiver running down her spine. If this went on she would soon be ready for a second time. The thought of it both amused and alarmed her. Considering her background and experience she hadn't expected to be so easily beguiled by these sort of activities. Apparently it also amused Shepard since she laughed again, caressing her face affectionately.

"Yeah, I noticed", the Commander said, her smile widening. She then raised her hand and slowly splayed her fingers, a strand of colourless, mucous substance stretching between her middle and ring fingers. With an undefined grunt Liara grabbed Shepard's wrist and shoved her hand out of sight, burying her face into the human's scruffy locks.

"By the Goddess, Shepard", the asari mumbled, "Please don't do that."

With a fond smile Shepard only kissed Liara's cheek and gathered her in her arms, caressing her softly and enjoying the feeling of her textured skin. She wondered if she would ever get enough of it, before the more pragmatic side of her brought her down from the clouds. It was very possible she would never be able to touch and hold Liara like this again. Feeling their mental connection now completely severed Shepard pondered for a couple of serious moment whether she should say out loud what she felt towards the asari. She already opened her mouth, but then deduced there was nothing she could say Liara hadn't seen and felt just moments ago, and confessing her feelings felt almost like jinxing their upcoming mission. None of them needed distractions, everyone had to be in it one hundred percent, and everything else would just have to wait.

Shifting a little to take a look at Liara Shepard noticed her breathing had turned heavier and she seemed to be on the brink of sleep. Taking in the sight of an almost asleep Liara for a few moments Shepard came to the conclusion that very few things could top it in adorableness. In less than a minute the young asari was fast asleep, and as much as Shepard wanted to stay in bed with her and rest, reflect on the magnificent experience they had just shared and perhaps take a short nap herself, she could not afford to that. They would shortly arrive at the Mu relay, and after that all hell would most likely break loose.

Carefully the Commander crept out of the bed, managing not to wake Liara up, and pulled the sheet over the naked asari. Taking one final look at her before disappearing into the cramped shower she decided she would not take Liara down on Ilos, despite her expertise in Prothean culture. Melding with her had evidently tired her to the point of dropping out and she would endanger both the mission and her own safety if she wasn't in top shape, and even if she was Shepard would have been reluctant to include her in the ground team for entirely unprofessional reasons.

After a very quick but efficient shower Commander Shepard collected their clothes that were scattered around the floor of her cabin, and put on hers. The uniform almost felt like it was made of lead, the immense responsibility weighing down on her like never before. She then folded Liara's garments neatly on the backrest of one of the chairs and sat on the edge of her desk, watching the asari. And waited.

Moments ticked by and the Commander weaved scenarios and plans in her head, trying to come up with as many possible obstacles as she could, and then working out solutions to them. She certainly didn't run out of ideas, but when Liara shifted on the bed, they were pushed in the back of her mind for the moment. Judging by their previous melds it had been tiring for Liara, and Shepard couldn't even fathom how much so in this depth. She wanted to make sure the asari maiden would be alright, both mentally and physically before leaving to her post on the bridge.

Liara opened her eyes, for a fleeting moment wondering where she was. She was not in her cot but in a decent bed, and when it dawned upon her where she was and what had happened, a silly, euphoric happiness filled her. Turning on her back and then sitting up she saw Shepard, watching her keenly. She was fully clothed and looked as professional as ever, making Liara wonder just how long she had been out. But it was of no relevance, really. She was happy and felt better than in a long time.

"By the Goddess! That was incredible, Shepard", Liara breathed out, still quite amazed by the sheer force and emotional impact of their first intimate meld. Shepard smirked, giving Liara a peculiar look.

"Ready for round two?" the human then asked slowly in a tantalising, teasing tone that almost made Liara consider her suggestion seriously.

"Commander!" the archaeologist laughed, glad that Shepard found it in her to joke despite the pressing, grave situation. And speaking of which, Joker opened the comm channel, informing Shepard about the matter in question.

"Five minutes ETA to the Mu relay", the pilot's voice echoed through the cabin.

"I had better go", Liara said, not really wanting to but what choice did she have? "Duty calls. You would not want to keep Joker waiting." With that she was about to get on her feet, but there was an unnamed need to get closure of some sort to everything, in case things would fall apart in the coming hours. Shepard had been watching her the whole time and she did not flinch under her scrutinising gaze, despite being stark naked.

"Shepard?" Liara begun, wondering how she should phrase her thoughts in an acceptable manner. Then again she had just melded with the human and it probably didn't make that much difference how she said it. "Whatever happens on Ilos, I just wanted to say... thank you." A short pause during which she went through all the things she wanted to thank Shepard for in her mind, but eventually settled with a simple "For everything."

Shepard hopped on her feet and went to Liara, bending down a little and taking her face gently, without a word between her hands. Leaning in she kissed the asari tenderly on the lips one last time, savouring the feel and taste of her. When she ended the kiss after which felt like a lifetime, yet too short to be satisfying, she leaned her head against Liara's and let her fingers run along the crest and the ridges of the back of her head and neck.

"You can use the shower if you want to", the human said softly, pulling apart from the asari and giving her a peculiar, mixed look of affection and sadness. "Take your time."

With that Shepard left the cabin. Liara knew she would be all business from now on and she also knew she herself would not be included in her squad on Ilos. A new kind of ache made its presence known in her chest, a new kind of sadness and anxiety filling her mind. They were fresh, but she had a disheartening feeling they had come to stay.


End file.
